Step-By-Step Guide to Installing OTRS (OpenSource Trouble Ticket System) on Debian 11

Introduction

Installing OTRS (OpenSource Trouble Ticket System) on Debian 11 is a fairly straightforward process. In this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through the installation process from start to finish. We will cover the prerequisites, installation steps, and post-installation configuration. With this guide in hand, you should have no trouble getting OTRS up and running on your Debian 11 system.

Introduction: What is OTRS and How Does it Help Companies?

OTRS is an open-source ticketing system designed to help companies manage customer service inquiries. It allows businesses to automate and streamline their customer service processes, from tracking and responding to customer requests to managing the entire customer service workflow. OTRS helps companies improve their customer service by providing a unified platform for handling all incoming inquiries, allowing them to respond quickly and efficiently. Additionally, it provides an easy-to-use interface for customers, enabling them to submit tickets directly from their mobile devices or web browsers. With OTRS, businesses can provide better customer service experiences and improve their overall efficiency.

Requirements

The following is a list of items that you will need to complete this tutorial successfully:
1) A cloud-hosted VPS or self-hosted server running Debian 11 or newer
2) Perl dependencies
3) The MariaDB database management system
4) The Apache web server
5) The OTRS installation files for Linux distributions.

Overview

Below is an overview of the steps outlined in this tutorial:
1) Update the system and install perl dependencies
2) Install the Apache Web Server and the MariaDB database engine
3) Run the MariaDB secure installation script and install OTRS
4) Link the Apache virtual host for OTRS
5) Complete the OTRS web-based post-installation setup

1. Update the system and install perl dependencies

The first step is to update the system and install perl dependencies. OTRS is written in Javascript and Perl and you need to make sure you install the Perl dependencies. Perl is a high-level, dynamic programming language that is used for a variety of tasks, from web development to system administration. Run the commands below to update the system and install Perl dependencies:

2. Install the Apache Web Server and the MariaDB database engine

The next step is to install the Apache Web Server and the MariaDB database engine. Apache will be used to serve the OTRS system on a web browser and the MariaDB database engine will be used to create and manage a database for OTRS. Run the commands below to start the installation:

3. Run the MariaDB secure installation script and install OTRS

Securing a MySQL installation is essential for protecting the data stored in it. Fortunately, there is a script available that can help you quickly and easily secure your MySQL installation. Run the command below to start the mysql_secure_installation script

Below are questions that the script will ask and some sample responses that you can provide:

Enter current password for root (enter for none):
Set root password? [Y/n]: N
Remove anonymous users? [Y/n]: Y
Disallow root login remotely? [Y/n]: Y
Remove test database and access to it? [Y/n]: Y
Reload privilege tables now? [Y/n]: Y

You can also edit the MySQL configuration file to tweak some settings. Run the command below to open the config file:

Add the following configuration inside [mysqld] section:

max_allowed_packet=256M
character-set-server=utf8
collation-server=utf8_general_ci
innodb_buffer_pool_size=4G
innodb_log_file_size=1G.

Restart mysql and mariadb for the changes to take effect

Install OTRS

Run the command below to download OTRS from the official download site:

When the download process is complete extract the zip file and change the owner of the directory to the www-data user and www-data group

Check all the required perl modules by running the command

Rename the OTRS configuration file and install the required dependencies:

Link the Apache virtual host for OTRS

The OTRAS installation files include the needed apache configuration file and you do not need to create it manually. Run the command below to link OTRS Apache configuration file to the Apache web root directory

Disable the Apache default HTTP site by running the command:

Enable the needed Apache perl modules by executing the command:

Finally, fix the Apache permissions and restart the web server

Check the status of the Apache Web Server and it should be marked as active (running)

Complete the OTRS web-based post-installation setup

Now that you have installed Apache, MariaDB, Perl dependencies and downloaded OTRS, you can now complete the web-based post-installation set up. Open a new browser window and go to http://your-server-ip-address/otrs/installer.pl. You will see the OTRS welcome page. Click Next to proceed.

Read the OTRS license agreement and click ‘Accept License and continue’

On the database settings page, select MySQL and select ‘Create a new database for OTRS’. Click Next to proceed to the next step.

Enter your MySQL username and password. Enter that Host is set to 127.0.0.1 and click Check database settings. You should see the message ‘Database check successfull. Proceed to enter a database name, username, and password then click Next.

On the System Settings page, provide your details such as: System FQDN, AdminEmail, Organisation name, Default Language and click Next. On the Mail Configuration page, click Skip this step – You can configure SMTP settings later.

Click on the URL shown on the Start Page parameter and a login page will be displayed. Enter your administrator credentials and you will see the OTRS dashboard. If you see the error message ‘OTRS Daemon not running error’, run the commadnds below to fix the error:

Thats it! You have successfully installed OTRS on a Debian 11 server in just a few simple steps. You can now start using the system to enhance your business customer support service. Please consider to share this article with your peers, colleagues, and friends. We hope that this tutorial has been informative and would like to thank you for reading it.